Suryakumar Yadav, who led India in seven T20Is last year, will now face the challenge of proving his leadership skills ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Suryakumar Yadav has been designated as the future T20I captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma, while Rohit and Virat Kohli have confirmed their participation in the ODI series of India’s upcoming limited-overs tour to Sri Lanka.
This shift in leadership, which excludes Hardik Pandya from the T20I leadership group, marks a significant moment as Gautam Gambhir takes on his first official role as the head coach of the Indian men’s team.
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On Tuesday evening, the national selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, met online to finalize the squad before the T20I team’s departure on July 22. Although the meeting was reportedly amicable, the preceding days were filled with activity.
Fast bowler Harshit Rana and middle-order batsman Riyan Parag, who made their T20I debuts in Zimbabwe, have received their first ODI call-ups. Shreyas Iyer will also return to the ODI squad for the first time since losing his BCCI contract.
“The BCCI will continue to monitor player availability and participation in the upcoming domestic cricket season,” stated the BCCI.
Gambhir and Agarkar persuaded Rohit and Kohli, who were initially planning to skip the Sri Lanka ODIs, to join the team. With only six ODIs scheduled, including three in Sri Lanka in August, before next year’s Champions Trophy, the presence of these experienced players will be vital.
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There was significant drama during a conference call with Hardik on Monday. Due to concerns about his fitness, declining form, and underwhelming performance in the 16 T20Is he captained, the selectors and Gambhir decided a change was necessary.
This decision surprised Hardik and some BCCI officials, who had expected him to become the permanent T20I captain after being Rohit’s deputy during the T20 World Cup win. However, Gambhir advocated strongly for Suryakumar, a player he has long admired, over Hardik and Rishabh Pant, whose name was also considered.
Suryakumar, who led India in seven T20Is last year, will now face the challenge of proving his leadership skills ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup at home. Hardik has been asked to participate in all domestic limited-overs tournaments and was replaced as vice-captain by Shubman Gill.
Gambhir’s influence was also evident in the selection of Rana for the ODIs, reflecting his successful role with Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2024, where Gambhir was the team mentor.
INDIA T20I SQUAD:
- Suryakumar Yadav (c)
- Shubman Gill (vc)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Rinku Singh
- Riyan Parag
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Sanju Samson (wk)
- Hardik Pandya
- Shivam Dube
- Axar Patel
- Washington Sundar
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Arshdeep Singh
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Mohammed Siraj
INDIA ODI SQUAD:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Shubman Gill (vc)
- Virat Kohli
- KL Rahul (wk)
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Shreyas Iyer
- Shivam Dube
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Siraj
- Washington Sundar
- Arshdeep Singh
- Riyan Parag
- Axar Patel
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Harshit Rana
INDIA VS SRI LANKA 2024 FULL SCHEDULE:
First T20I: July 27, PICS (Pallekele) – 7 PM IST
Second T20I: July 28, PICS (Pallekele) – 7 PM IST
Third T20I: July 30, PICS (Pallekele) – 7 PM IST
First ODI: August 2, RPICS (Colombo) – 2.30 PM IST
Second ODI: August 4, RPICS (Colombo) – 2.30 PM IST
Third ODI: August 7, RPICS (Colombo) – 2.30 PM IST